Apparatus for cleaning and repairing pipe lines



Oct. 13, 1959 vR. .-J. ERAN-' I- Y "2,908248 APPARATUS FOR'CLEANING AND RPAIRING -PIPE LINES Filed April 25, 1958 2 Shets-Sheet 1 4 v l INVENTOR l/5 ROBE Q1- T- ERAN-v BY. A

AT1-GENISYS 4 Oct. 13', 1959 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND REPAIRING PIPE LINES '2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1958 I INVENTORQ y lwao-BERT :I BRYANT Vf-' gfYv` Y Aa!'11A-Rattansinon CLEANING AND -REPAIRING y ltlPE` Robert J. Brant, `serait Rafael, Calif.

' a pplictvionpril2i1958,Serial No.730,921

3 Claims. .(cl. 11s-40s) y lflhepresentinvention relates to `an apparatus for cleanyingand-repairing pipe lines which have access openings at spaced .intervals therealong. I

Alntobject-,of the` present invention is to provide an aplparatus 4for cleaning and repairing pipe linesjwhich lends itself-2 toinsertion into. a pipe line through an access opening-,and to pulling .by a cable which has been inserted "through another access opening into the pipeline, the apparatus while being pulled Vthrough the pipe line applying :coating to the j pipe wall and yiillin'g crevices which Y.may be inthe wall.

. vAnother object of `the present invention is to provide fan apparatus for cleaning -and repairing pipe lines which lis sturdy in construction, one Asimple in structure, one

`@economical-.to manufacture .and assemble, and one which fisfhighlyeifective'in action. Y e Ihesefaand other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent 'fromthe .following descriptionV when taken :in conjunction with the annexed iirawingsfin whichi figure llis an isometric vviewof the lapparatusaccord- .togthetpresentinventiom Figure 2 ,is ya vview Vin sectionfof `a pipe line portion i with :the *apparatusl of the .present invention installed therein, a portion of the apparatus being shown in section, and a schematic view of a means to supply semisolid uid material `fo-the apparatus, together with a schematic view of a means for detecting by sound defects in the wall of the pipe;

fi *.Figurefisaview .takenon the 4line 3-3 of Figure 2; a1" VFigure '4 is.a.s ectiona1.view of a pipe line portion with :a .modied formof .theapparatus of the present inven- :tioninstalled therein;

' Eigure `5 is `a .sectional View :of apipe line portion with a still further modified form of the apparatus of the present invention installed therein; -and` A- figure-6 is a vievv'taken -on the-1ine'6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring in greater detail to the Adrawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a portion of a pipe line is shown in Figure 2 and designated by the reference numeral 10. The apparatus of the present invention is installed within the pipe line portion |10 and comprises two pairs of discs 12 and 14 arranged in a predetermined axial spaced relation and connected together for movement in unison in the axially spaced relation. The pair of discs |12 consists in discs 16 and 18 and the pair of discs '14 consists in discs 20 and o under pressure.

tion with -the vinterior `of' `such chamber and Vthe other jendexteriorlybf thetcham'ber. A reservoir 32, shown schematically-in Figure 1, its provided yand-is adaptedto contain l.a `supply of Huid coating 'substance in .semiliquid form. A pump 34 connects thejreservoir 32to the other end offthe-nipplebymeans ofuasexible Yconduit 36 for completely :filling .and maintainingthecham 4ber bet-Ween the Vdiscs I18 and 22, With the iludsubstance Rods y3f8 and y40 `extend through the pairs of discsA-IZ 4and 14 and has aportion adjacent eachendexteriorlyof the discs 16 and ,120, respectively The .portionsof-the rod 38-exteriorly of the dise20 is provided with laneye formation 42 for attachment theretoof one rend-of al cable 44. A `microphone 46 -is carried on the other end portion of the rod 38 exteriorly ofthe disc 16` and is connected by an electric cable 48 to an amplier. unit S0 j which isin circuit with a source of current fsuch as a between thenipple 3 0and the .pump 34. v

battery '52' and a-translating device or speaker54. l

The portion of the rod :40 exteriorly 'of the disc 16is provided' with another keye formation 56 for attachment thereto on `one end of another cable 58. Another eye formation 60 is carried on the fportion ofthe rod 4l) exteriorl-y of the-disc 20. l i

A pressure gauge 62 isr interposed in the conduit .-36

Thehub 24 of Veach of the discs 1116, 18, 20, and `,22

V-is providedwith a projecting lboss receiving Va slet sc rew V4as in Figure -2 `with -referenceto the disc '16.the boss being designated by the reference numeral 64'and the setiscrew Iby the'reference numeral 66a 'Ihe "respective bosses `and `set screws foreach dise comprise the means by which the discs 116 and 113 are liixedly .secured tothe one rod v40 and the discs 20 and '22 are SGCuredgto the other rod 38- v In Figure l4, 'a modiiiedform of `the apparatus ofthe present invention is shown-zin. which all of lthe components -are identical with Vthe components heretofore `described with referenceto the embodiments shownfin Figures Ilto 3.

The Iexception is that theeable 44 *is*y y'secured to; theeye for-mation t60 on `the projecting end portion of the rod 40 and theeable '.58' viss-senr@ w an ,eye formation/68 carried jon thepprojectin'g end'- portion of the rod-38. The Conduit 36 is connected to the same :sourceaof coating substance underlpressure as heretofore described. Each ofthezdiscs of thepairof discs #1'2 ,is connected Vto 'the rod 4 0 andeach of the discs ofthe pair` of discs 14 is connectedto Ithe 22. The peripheries of the discs 16, 18, 20, and 22 portion of the inner wall of the pipe line portion 10 -therebetween deilines between them a chamber.

A nipple 30 extends through the discs-20 and 22 and is iixedly carried thereby with one end in communicay 'I-njF'igures 5 and :6, astill further modied Iform-of Vthe Iinvention is shown in which a -pair Vof ydiscs 70 vare aarrangedain aligned -sp'aced Vrelation `withfrespect,to another pair of discs 72 within the pipe line poration 10. Each disc of each pair of discs 70 and 72 is provided with a hub 74 fas shown with reference tothe disc 76 of the pair of discs 72. Each hub 74 is provided with a central opening through which extends an open-ended conduit 718 having the open ends Vthereof in communication with the linterior of the pipe line portionl` exteriorly of the chamber defined by the inner disc of each` of the pair of discs 70 and 7'2. A pair of rods 80 and 82 extend through the pairs of discs 70 and 72 yand each has an eye formation 84 on each end thereof for attachment of cables S6 and z88, the cable 86 being attached to the eye formation on one end of the rod and the cable 88 being attached to the eye formation on` the end of the rod 82 opposite to the attachment of the cables-6.

The same nipple 30 extends through the discs 716 and 90 of the pair ofidiscs and has one end connected in communication with the chamber deiined by the inner discs of the pairs of discs 70 and' 72, the inner wall of the adjacent portion of the pipe line portion 10 and the exterior Wall of the conduit 78, Thesame conduit 36 l conduit 78 for movement together nin unison.

fluid coating substance.

The pairs of discs 70 and'72 are lixedly secured to the In operation, one'or the other ofA the cables 44 fandr'5`0,

Vl44' and 58', and-86 or 88, is'secured, to a v'sc n'lr'ce of Vpull- Ving pwer suchv as a winch andthe associated pairs-of discs Vare moved inunison'in an'l axialv spaced relation M 4 through the fpipe line portion 10 with the peripheries of 'the discs of each pair of discsV in wiping contact with the Iinterior wallofthe portion 1.0. Material for coating the 'inner' wall of the pipe portion 10 and sealing any crevice therein isV pumped through the conduit 36 under pressure.

escaping through a leak and informs the operator when thev apparatus ofthe present invention is adjacent to l' such leak.-A When th'eleak in the pipe line isV encounteredv by the apparatus,a drop in pressure will show on the gauge 62 until the cementing substance pumped into the chamber between the'pairs of discs completelyplugs upA such leaks at which time the gauge will return to its predetermined pressure and the pairs of discs may be moved as a unit further along the pipe line ldepositing on the inner wall thereof the coating as desired and lling f other crevices or leaks with the sealing compound. f

Means is provided for Varying the axial relation of the discs in the pairs of discs. This means is'inherent in the I' modified form of the apparatus shownY in Figure 4.' p Upon a greater pulling force to the cable 44' than to the balancing pulling force to the cable 58', the pairs of discs 12 and 14 will be caused to move kfrom their full line Y"connects the nipple d' 4to the pump or other source ofU4 In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2, the* Y microphone 46 picks'up-any sound of Yrushing fluid Y 4 2. Apparatus for cleaning and repairing a pipe line comprising at least two pairs of discs arranged ina predetermined axial spaced relation and connected ,togetherY for movement in unison in the axially spaced relation adapted for peripheral wiping contact with an inner wall of a pipe line, means for varying the axial relation of said discs, said discs when in peripheral-contact with said Y a pulling cable on one of said discs for drawing said' discs in the axially spaced'relation; while the chamber is Vbeing maintained under pressure along-"said Ypipe linel to eiiect coating of the pipe wall withsaidsubstance.

3. Apparatus for cleaningu and repairingv a pipe` line i comprising at leasttwo pairsof discs arranged in Ia predetermined axial spaced relation andconnected together for movement in unison lin the axially spaced'relation adapted for peripheral wiping contact with an innerwall of a pipe line, ksaid'discs when in peripheral ,contact with position to the dotted line positions closer to each other A than formerly. This exerts a greaterpressure upon the l substance contained in the chamber defined by the inner discs of the pairs of discs and the adjacent portion of the pipe line wall. Y

what is claimed is:

said pipe line wall defining between them a chamber, an open ended conduit extending from one of said/ discs to the other of said discs and having the openv ends in communication with `the interior of said vpipelineexteriorly of said chamber for permitting flow of'iluid through said pipe line from one side tothe otherfside of said chamber, a nipple extending transverselythrough and xedly carried by one of'said discs and having one end in communication with the interior of said chamber l. Apparatus for cleaning and repairing a pipe line comprising at least two pairs of discs arranged in a predetermined axial spaced relation and connected together 3 for movement in unison in the axially spaced relation adapted for peripheral wiping contact withlan inner wall.A of a pipe line, means for varying the axial relation of said discs, said discs when in peripheral contact with said pipe line wall defining between them a chamber, a nipple extending transversely through and iixedly carried by one of said discs and having one end in communication with the interior of said chamber and having the other v end exteriorly of said chamber, a reservoir adapted to contain a supply of uid coating substance, and pump means connecting said reservoirpto the other end of said nipple for completely filling and maintaining said chamv ber with said substance under pressure to plug up any e crevice in andrcoat `the pipe line wall dened by said I chamber. A Y

and having the other end exteriorly of'said chamber, a reservoir adapted to contain a supply of Yiiuid coating substance, and pump means connecting Ysaid reservoirto the other end of said nipple for completely filling and maintaining said chamber with said substance under-'pressure to plug up Vany crevice V in and coat the pipe line walludefined by said chamber., Y

ReferencesrCited in the le of this patent u UNITED STATES PATE 1I'TS. A A, v 907,724 Boyle Dec. 29, 1908 1,746,071 Y comm Feb..4,.19so 2,108,319y Perkins Feb-15.1938 2,808,852 Brant ;'Oct 8,1957 2,851,061 Bernard yet al. Y Sept. 9,.-1958 FOREIGN rirrENTsv 6,507 Great Britain v r l v Mar. 17,19

646,400 Great YBritain f.' -..a Nov. 1950 

